What a week! I don't know which way I'm going. I knew before Monday came this week was going to crazy and it has definitely proven itself to be so. We seldom ALL have something every day of the week, but this week each day of the calendar has been filled with activities.
Luckily for me, that has included not one, but two super fun workshops.
On Saturday, I took a dance workshop with Lisa Zahiya. We learned some of the basics of Bollywood style dance along with HipHop/Bellydance Fusion. Can you say fun? OR tiring? My legs hurt so bad the next day I could barely walk, but it was worth every second. It woke the dance back up in my body which has been on hiatus since Shakti Project's last performance in September. We worked so hard to create that performance. I think I was a bit burnt out. Those dancing fires are reignited and I'm ready to get back to work with those gorgeous ladies.
Yesterday, I took a quilting class with Chris Eikner. She's written a few articles along the way on Machine Quilting. She does landscapes mostly, but she does them beautifully.
I was not very prepared for the workshop. I had my supply list and got everything on it, but when I was picking out my fabric, I realized I had no idea what we were going to be doing in the class. I am not able to attend the Cotton Patch Quilt Guild meetings and I had not seen the sample and she gave a lecture the night before the workshop, but I wasn't able to go to that either. I simply had to guess and hope everything I was taking was going to work out. I didn't do too terribly going in without any knowledge, but when it came time to cut our pieces and lay them out, I was stumped.
This is what I started with.
Looking at in the photo helped a lot. I was super frustrated with it and couldn't see it as a landscape that would evolve. A fellow quilter in the class suggested taking a photo and once I did, I started feeling a little better about it, but I still don't love it.
Landscapes are way outside my comfort zone, but with a little help from the teacher and other folks who have taken her class before I was able to proceed with an acceptable piece. I really just wanted to get the techniques so if nothing ever comes of this piece, I learned some new ways to use thread. Thankfully, I am o.k. with making a mess of something in order to learn something new.
We pinned it down rather than ironing it down or fusing it so pieces could be lifted and gotten under. This was very helpful when trying to put in the shading on the mountains.
She explained the relationship between bobbin and thread and how to make sure the bobbin thread doesn't pop up to the surface. I was amazed by how much tension I had to take off the needle to keep the bobbin thread under the piece.
We started out painting in the horizon over the mountains, then the shading of them.
We then moved on to the trees.
I didn't get very far along, but I've got the skill and now I can use it.
I don't know if I will finish it or not. I've got a lot I want/need to accomplish in the next few months, but I will definitely be playing around with it more in future projects!
Stay tuned!
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